Arthurian Legend:
The Romance Hero
Ms. Eckman
Eng 12
King Arthur: Fact or Fiction?
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Lady of the Lake
White and Red Dragon
The sword in the stone
The Round Table
Did Arthur truly exist?
Geoffrey of Monmouth
(1136)
*Good for Morale
*Public looking for a HERO
*National Pride
King Arthur’s Family Tree
• The genealogy of King Arthur and his family has
changed from one generation to another, during
the medieval period. The main difference
between one source from another, is that of
number of sister and half-sisters, or the number
of nephews Arthur had.
• The spelling of names had also changed,
depending on languages or regions.
Source: http://www.timelessmyths.com/arthurian/housearthur.html
There are many variations:
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Family Tree of King Arthur (Geoffrey‘ of Monmouth’sversion)
Family Tree of King Arthur (Chretien de Troyes' version)
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The family tree of King Arthur shown here, comes from Chretien de Troyes' five
Arthurian romances. Chretien was the first to introduce Lancelot and Perceval into
the legend. He was also responsible for beginning the Grail legend.
Here, Morgan le Fay is Arthur's full sister. He had another unnamed sister in Conte
du Graal ("Story of the Grail" or "Perceval“). But if we followed the First Grail
Continuation, then her name was either Norcadet or Morgawse. Also, Chretien had
listed three brothers to Gawain, but no Mordred.
Family Tree of King Arthur (Vulgate / Post-Vulgate version)
(This is) almost identical to the next family tree, which used Sir Thomas
Malory's work, Le Morte d'Arthur, 1469. The difference is mainly in the spelling
of Arthur's nephews and the number of his sisters. Notice that here, Morgeuse
and Morgan are Arthur’s half sisters.
Family Tree of King Arthur (Sir Thomas Malory's version)
This is one of the more popular versions….it is based on the work by Sir
Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur (1469)
Romance Narrative
• “ a narrative set in a world of pure wish fulfillment, where
the ordinary laws of nature are suspended and where
idealized and superhuman heroes fight and almost
always conquer the forces of evil.” (Holt, Rinehart &
Winston, 158)
• The adventures of a knight/hero on a quest (good-vsevil), overcoming danger to save a noble lady or for love
• So- what does this really mean?
Characteristics:
1. There is a hero
2. Goes on a quest or
journey
3. In search of
something valuable
4. Done in the name of
love, honor, duty….
(chivalry)
“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”
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Unknown author
Setting:
-The woods around the Green Chapel
-1 year and 1 day after the challenge
-New Year’s Day
The Conflict:
-The challenge made by the Green Knight & accepted by Sir Gawain
-The Lord and Lady of the manor/castle
-gaining the green sash
The Climax:
-The swinging of the axe…..
The Resolution:
-Earned his life
The Moral:
-Everyone is flawed and can strive to redeem themselves
Sooooo….
What made this a Romance
Narrative?
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Hero?
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Quest or Journey?
Search for the Green Chapel and the 3 nights in
the castle
Search for something valuable?
No…..maybe, he got the green sash
Done in the name of Chivalry?
YES!!!!
The Romance Hero….
1. Born under mysterious
circumstances
2. Grows up in obscurity
3. Undergoes childhood
initiation (usually
involving a magical
weapon
4. Fights evil-promotes
good
5. Aided by magical
weapons & wise mentors
6. Mysterious events
surround his departure
from earth (death?)
Romance Hero Defined:
• “a larger-than-life figure who usually has
mysterious origins and in the course of his
life performs extraordinary deeds with the
aid of magic forces.” (Holt, Rinehart &
Winston, 170)
“Le Morte D’Arthur”
• Written by Sir Thomas Mallory
• Written appx. 1460
• Combined many Arthur legends/tales to
become the main source of the modern
tales (i.e. the sword in the stone)
“Le Morte D’Arthur”
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Opens with Arthur dreaming
Visited by ghost of Sir Gawain
His enemy is his illegitimate son, Mordred
Warned to make peace or a treaty with Mordred
Day of treaty, a knight is frightened by a snake that starts the battle
At the end of the battle, only 4 survive:
1. Mordred
2. Bedivere
3. Lucan (dies soon after battle is over)
4. Arthur
Arthur & Mordred fight- Mordred is killed & Arthur is “mortally wounded
Arthur asks Bedivere to throw his sword into the lake- Bedivere fails 2x’s
before he finally succeeds
A hand reaches out of the lake and grabs the sword (shakes it 3 x’s)
Arthur is taken to Avilon by a group of wailing/crying women (Morgan le Fay,
Queen of North Wales, Queen of Wastelands, Ninive)
Bedivere meets the hermit (Bishop of Canterbury)
Guenevere becomes a nun
Was Arthur a true Romance Hero?
Born under mysterious circumstances?
Yes- Uther Pendragon poses as Igraine’s husband in order to bed
her
Grows up in obscurity?
Yes- raised by Merlin and a surrogate family
Undergoes childhood initiation (usually involving a magical
weapon)?
Yes- the sword in the stone
Fights evil-promotes good?
Yes
Aided by magical weapons & wise mentors?
Yes- Merlin and Excalibur
Mysterious events surround his departure from earth (death?)?
Yes- goes to Avalon, did he die & where was he buried….
Were Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight Romance Heroes?
The Romance Hero….
1. Born under mysterious circumstances
2. Grows up in obscurity
3. Undergoes childhood initiation (usually
involving a magical weapon
4. Fights evil-promotes good
5. Aided by magical weapons & wise
mentors
6. Mysterious events surround his
departure from earth (death?)
Were these stories Romance
Narratives?
1. Is there a hero?
2. Is there a quest or journey?
3. Are they in search of something
valuable?
4. Is it done in the name of love, honor,
duty…. (chivalry)?